Bonafide Rise of Bones
by DrtyDiva
Summary: The start and tragic end of Amelia Bones.
1. The Training Begins

This was the day she had been waiting for. She stood on the porch of her family's home as the large tawny owl swooped out of the sky clutching her NEWT results in its leg. Amelia Susan Bones didn't have a doubt that she would receive her 10 NEWTs but still her stomach was in knots and she was nervous. Her brother Edgar wasn't even paying attention to the second owl that was carrying his OWL results. He never carried as much about his grades like Amelia did, but she still managed to always keep up with her. The owl dropped the letter on her head and she almost fainted as she picked it up in her trembling hands.

Carefully she opened the letter and read her results. "YES!" She hollered into the morning light. Her mother came running out of the house and Amelia turned to look at her. "I got all 10 NEWTs. I am going to the Ministry." She said collapsing in her mother's arms. They were both crying and laughing. She had set goals in her life and this was only the second one and she had achieved it.

For her whole life Amelia wanted to be an Auror, she never played with dolls or rode a toy broom with dreams of being a famous Quidditch player. She stayed indoors reads the books about famous dark wizards and witches. She had mug shots on her walls. There malevolent faces scowling down at her daily just drove her harder and harder. She jogged 5 miles every morning and always ate correctly. She even took muggle kung fu lessons just to be as deadly with her hands as she was with her wand. She was the youngest witch to be the president of the dueling club and she was the reining champion, being beat only by Professor Dumbledore himself.

She had been all business since the day she was born and now she had the NEWTs she needed to enter into Auror training.

Breakfast was a subdued event. After the big party last night it was a unsettling silence around the table. Her brother was ignoring her completely, and it was getting to her, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging his childish behavior.

It wasn't her fault that he only got 7 O.W.L.s, but then he was more artistic and he cared about other things that his studies. He was still just as smart as Amelia and there were times he could out duel her. But their father expected nothing but the best from his children, and seeing Amelia's 10 NEWTS and Edgar's 7 OWLS had put her brother in the dog house according to their father.

She didn't like being upset with her baby brother. She reached out a hand and gasped his. He looked up meekly at her and smiled. She gave him a warm smile before she withdrew her hand. There they were friends again.

Their father breezed into the kitchen. "Ready Amelia?" He asked as he wiped at some lint that clung to his robes. She looked up and saw that he was wearing his plum robes.

"Is there a trial today?" She asked excitedly.

"We just have some proceedings I need to preside over." He pulled himself up to his full height of 6ft 6. Karden Bones cut a very impressive and imposing figure. He seemed to ripple with power and energy when he put on his Wizengamot robes, especially when he hung his Chief Warlock chain around his neck. Amelia loved her father so much. He was always her favorite. She nodded and stood up and gather her robes and her bag. She kissed hero brother on the top of his wheat colored hair and pecked her mother on the cheek and followed her father over to the fireplace. She watched him step in and vanish.

"Mom I might be home late some of my friends want to go out tonight," She called before she too stepped into the fireplace and vanished. Her mind was all over the place as the fireplaces whirled around her.

The Ministry had always been a favorite place of hers, she could remember when her father would take her to work and she would sit on his desk and watch him work. He wanted to be an Auror, but his vision prevented him from making it through the training. She came to a stop and walked out of the fireplace. She was wearing the green robes of a Auror in training. Her father was already gone, and she was alone to take in the majesty of the Ministry.

Hundreds of wizards and witches were heading to work or going to the various Ministry offices for help or with questions. She stepped into the flow of traffic and she let it carry her to the elevators.

"Amelia!" She turned around at the sound of someone screaming her name, and the whirlwind that was Frank Longbottom. Amelia jumped into her best friends arms and hugged him tightly. He set her down and linked his arm through hers as they walked onto the elevator. "Well I supposed you got all of your NEWTs?" He asked as the gilded doors of the elevator slid close.

"As if you would be here if you didn't get all nine of yours." She told him as the disemboweled voice of the elevator called out the various floors and offices as they descended into the very bowels of the Ministry.

"Well I would have taken Ancient Runes but I was never good in that and when I only got a A in my OWLs I just didn't want to put myself through all that again," he said as he bounced nervously in the elevator. Frank was always like that, in class he would tap his quill against his desk. Amelia used to count the number of taps he could get before the bell rang.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open to a corridor. "Level 2" said the voice. Frank and Amelia smiled at each other as they stepped off. They turned toward Auror office and they saw a few other wizards and one witch about their age waiting outside the office. Amelia recognized the girl. She was a Ravenclaw, she smiled at Frank and Amelia. Frank seemed to go red around the ears.

"Who is that?" she whispered to Frank. He didn't seem to hear her, so she nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Thats um Alice Prewett," he said blushing as she looked at him and then looked away. Amelia would ask him about that later when they went out to that muggle pub in London she had heard about. They looked up as the door to the Auror office opened. Amelia had to blink as they looked at very stern looking witch glared at all of them.

"I am Lucretia Black, I will be your instructor for the next three years. Now you may come to hate me or love me, but you will respect me." She walked up and down the row they were sitting on and dared any one of them to disagree with her statement. "And if you survive this training you will become an elite wizard known as an Auror. This is not child's play, as most of you have worked hard in school to received the necessary NEWTs to even enter into this training." She pulled out a roll of parchment. "Amelia Bones," Amelia stood up and nodded. "Frank Longbottom," Frank stood up and nodded. Her face softened as she called the next name. "Alice Prewett," the girl stood up and nodded. "Hugo MacMillian, Theodore Tonks, likes to be called Ted, and Casper Crouch." The last three boys stood up and nodded as their names were called. She looked over all of them and rolled up her parchment. "And so we begin," she grinned like the cat who got the milk. She turned and walked down the hallway to the door marker 'Auror Training.'

Amelia's heart gave a leap as she followed down the corridor to the next chapter in her life.

They walked into a darkened room, not even the light bouncing off her locket reached into the room. Amelia and Frank both pulled their wands and had them at the ready when Amelia felt something brush past her. "Stupfy!" she shouted her wand tip burst forth with a jet or red sparks with the strength of her hex.

The lights came on so suddenly and brightly that many of them staggered under their brilliance.

"All of you but Amelia are now dead," came the stern voice of Lucretia Black. Everyone's eyes fell to the floor to see what Amelia had stunned. It looked to be another wizard. "You all walked into a darkened room and only two of you drew your wands." her voice rang out. "And only Amelia had the wherewithal to fire a spell." they couldn't see her but they saw where her voice was coming from. A glass partition that ran from the floor to the ceiling. "It is always better to ask forgiveness than permission. Even if she had been wrong it would have been simple to apologize to the unlucky person to fall under her wand, but if this had been a real life or death situation all but her would dead." She said the last word with such force they all shuddered. She waited a heartbeat before she spoke again. "You all need to understand that we aren't hunting down underaged wizards flying brooms over a muggle town. We aren't chasing witches crossbreeding venus flytraps with mandrakes. We are hunting down some of the most vile and power wizards in the world. They would sooner kill or torture you than be captured." She let her words sink it. "This is not child's play. So get serious about it. Target practice!" She finished with a shout.

They all jumped as suddenly the room was filled with cloaked figures. Amelia didn't need to be told twice as she took down two of the figures before anyone else even drew their wands. Frank and Alice were right behind her.

Behind the glass Lucretia looked on. A rare smile fluttered across her face as she looked at Amelia. "She is going to be great," she muttered to herself as she made a note in her chart.


	2. All Grown Up

She had been in her Auror training for almost a year. It was strenuous work and Lucretia Black, as she liked to be called and to which she constantly reminded them was as hard as nails and not as nice. There would be days where Amelia wouldn't get home to the wee hours or the morning.

And this morning was no different.

She was up not even two hours after she had gone to bed. She was up to running 5 kilometers a day. She was stretching in her front yard when a tiny pop didn't startle the Auror in training. "You're late," she said pulling her long brown hair into a fairy clip on the top of her head. Frank sighed, Amelia was getting more and more like Lucretia Black, whom she idolized all most as much as her father. She was even taking to dressing in all black like Lucretia Black. Frank didn't like it. Amelia was a touch cookie to know but she was still as warm as a butterbeer on a winter's day with him. She stood up and put her hands on her hips and tried to keep the smile off her face as she looked at Frank. "How was the date?" she asked punching him in the arm as they started off on their morning jog. now he had to take back what he said about her being like Lucretia Black.

Frank's blush started at the top of his forehead and worked down his face. "It was..well...we had..." he stammered as they ran down the road.

Amelia giggled as they rounded the bend in the road, the paced picked up and soon they were both panting. "Just spit it out Frank," she breathed as the beads of sweat were staining her shirt.

He stopped running and leaned against a tree. His breathing started to slow. He sat down and Amelia sat beside him.

They had been best friends all through school. Meeting during their sorting. Both of them were sorted into Gryffindor. A sorting which both of their families were dismayed about. Frank's mother had been in Ravenclaw and so had Amelia's father. Her mother was Parisian and went to Beauxbatons. Frank had stepped on Amelia's robes and they both tripped and fell. And the rest was history. They were inseparable after that. Many thought the two were dating. But Amelia never had time for such pursuits. The only thing that drove her was her desire to be an Auror. The first time she went to a Quidditch game was in her 4th year, and that was only because Frank had glued all her notes together and she couldn't study. Frank was her only friend, but Frank was more popular than she was. He dated and was on the gobstones team. He wanted to play Quidditch but it just wasn't in the cards for him.

So the two friends sat under the tree as they caught their breaths after there run. Frank looked over at his best friend. "We had a moonlight dinner on my grandfather's old carpet." he smiled at the memory. "I took her to Victoria Falls and I asked her to marry me and she said yes." He still couldn't believe it all had happened.

Amelia looked at him. "Oh Frank that is wonderful," she cried as she threw her arms around him. They hugged and laughed for a few moments before they released each other. Frank stood up and pulled Amelia to her feet. "Well after work we can all go out to celebrate or something." she told him as they walked slowly back they way they had come. Frank's news trumped their run this morning. Though Amelia would take a night run to make up for it.

"That sounds nice. Well I need to pop off to shower before heading to the Ministry." He kissed her on the cheek before turning the spot and disappearing with a tiny pop. She headed back home to shower and change before she had to be at the Ministry.

Her father was sitting at the kitchen table all alone as she walked back into the house. "I've heard good things about you Amelia. Top marks in your class." he said sitting down his cup of tea and folding up his Daily Prophet.

She beamed at her father. "Thank you sir," she pulled out and chair and sat down with him. She caught a glimpse of the headlines in the papers. It was another wizard murder in the Black Hills. It was one in a string of peculiar murders. It was times like this that Amelie wished they get go faster in their training she was itching to be assigned that case. The Auror office was emptier than usual with so many Aurors searching for the wizard responsible.

He saw her looking at the paper. "Don't get impatient Amelia." he said in a fatherly way but in a way that closed the subject till he was ready to open it up again. "Me and your mother have spoken and we feel its time that you have a home of your own." Amelie looked at him. She had never even thought of leaving home. She loved her bedroom. It was her sanctuary, it was home. "It has all been arranged for you dear. I will take you there after work." He reached into his pocket and pulled a little gold key from his breast pocket and slid it across the table toward her. "You own Gringotts vault." His chest swelled as he looked at his oldest child. He was so proud of her he couldn't form it into words. He finished his tea and stood up. He touched her shoulder lightly and smiled at her.

She got dressed for training that day. It was surreal, like she wasn't even fully awake. She knew this day was coming. She was almost 19. Why was she still at home anyways? Her older brother was out of the house at 17. Well thats what boys did her father had told her. They grew up and left the nest, but she had stayed almost 2 more years after her 17th birthday. Well she stayed because her only links to the outside world lived in this house. Well other than Frank, but now he was getting married and how much time could she expect him to spend wit her when he had a new wife to dot after.

Well there was nothing to do about it but be mature and not cry. She knew her other would cry because thats what Mrs. Bones did. Her brother would be ok with it. He would be happy about coming to visit her and all. She wrapped her scarf around her neck and grabbed her bag as she walked out of her bedroom for the last time and went down for breakfast. She expected her father to be there but it was just her and her mother. Her brother was off to a Quidditch camp in Wales. Her mother's eyes were rimmed with red, she had been crying.

"Morning mother," Amelia said sitting down at her usual spot and reaching for the toast and some tea. Mrs. Bones smiled at her daughter. "I will just be a fireplace away," she told her softly. She hated to see her mother crying. She was such a gentle soul. "So um where is father?" she asked pouring herself some tea and dunking her toast in it and taking a bite.

Mrs. Bones pushed the Daily Prophet across the table toward her daughter. "There was a goblin family murdered. He was the head of Gringotts. You father had to go in early for some hearings." She said as Amelia glanced through the article. Amelia was horrified at the article. Lately there had been more and more attacks on magical creatures and even wizards. But a whole family at one go was just...ineffable. She shook her head and tucked the paper into her bag and finished her breakfast.

"Well I have to go mother." She stood up and kissed her mother on the cheek. She vanished in the fireplace and was stepping out into the flow of Ministry workers in no time. It was busier than usual and there were more Ministry guards as they hustled some goblins from the fireplaces to the lifts. Amelia wished she was an Auror so she could find the killer and bring them to justice. Something was brewing in the wind and it looked like it was going to be big as the whole Ministry was up in arms about it.

She couldn't wait to get to level 2.


	3. Something in the Wind

She stepped onto the lifts. Her heart was thundering in her chest. Something was really going on. Everyone was looking around as if they expecting someone to leap out at them and cast the killing curse on them. It was shaking Amelia to her core. She had never seen everyone in a frenzy like this before.

The gilded grates pulled open like a old sliding into a tub of hot water, and she stepped off the lifts. Before she could turn down the corridor properly she was bombarded with the ball of energy that was Frank Longbottom. She almost fell over with the force the he hit her with. "They are promoting us." he whispered into her ear as he drug her into an empty cubicle. She tried to yank her arm back but Frank was gripping her like his last galleon. He looked around to make sure they weren't being followed. "Lucretia Black is gong to certify me, you and Alice today if we can past the Auror test." he said fiercely. He had been bursting to tell her, Alice already knew as Lucretia Black was her great aunt.

Amelia looked dumbfounded at this news. They still had another whole year before they could take the test and Lucretia Black wasn't one to eschew training. She made a point of that everyday as they started the day with daily exercises. She didn't understand why. Alastor Moody looked as if he'd never ran a day in his life. "Why would they do that?" she asked as she tried not to let herself get excited over getting her Auror's status.

Frank once again looked around to make sure they were totally alone. "I heard from Penny who works in deliveries at the Daily Prophet that a dark wizard is stirring up trouble and not just a normal one." Frank shook his head and lowered his voice. "A real nasty fellow." Frank told her. For a boy Frank was an awful gossip, but if Frank told you something you could take it to Gringotts and deposit it. "There is only 4 Aurors right now and the Ministry wants to be prepared, and we are the best in our class." He was as excited as Amelia was about getting his Auror status, and if they could forgo another year of training then that was fine by him.

"Ah hem," a sharp voice came over the cubicle walls and they both jumped up. Lucretia Black was looking at them both. "Conference room now." she barked. And with that command she turned on her military style heeled boots and clacked down the corridor toward the conference room. They both shuffled after her trying to hold back their giddiness, least it all be a dream and they were woken up by the sheer happiness of the situation.

They walked in and Barty Crouch, the head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department was standing with his bowler hat in his hands, as well as Capurnica Jones, the head Auror. Amelia blushed and smoothed out her tunic that suddenly felt too casual to her. "Lucretia Black, these are the new recruits?" Mr. Crouch asked as he looked at all of them. Amelia didn't even notice that Alice had slipped in behind her and had closed the door. Lucretia Black nodded curtly at her boss. "Well this is highly unusual I must say, but we have a situation that is going to require everyone that we have to be at the ready." He was talking as if he were addressing a troop ready to charge into battle.

He motioned for them all to sit and Amelia grabbed a chair and sat down. "I am sure you read int he papers this morning about that goblin family that was murdered," he paused to watch everyone shaking their head in the affirmative. "Well sadly that is not the first murder. There have been the most distrusting reports coming in these past few months of other murders. Muggles and wizards alike. But last night was the largest mass murder. And even the muggles have started to take notice so something must be done. We have tried Hit Wizards and the MLES and two Hit Wizards have gone missing and we have two Aurors out on other jobs. So this leaves us on a precipice." he sat down to look at the three of them. "We need more men in the field." Amelia didn't make the usual face she did when men called her a man or used that general term. "Lucretia Black has assured me that you three are the brightest minds she has had the pleasure of training. Now what I am about to say is not a command, you can refuse this offer and no one will think less of you." Lucretia Black's eyes glinted and Amelia had the impression that Lucretia Black would think less of them. And that was a can of worm Amelia didn't want to open.

He looked around at each of them. "We didn't come to this choice lightly. Myself and the Minister were talking well into the night about this and Ms. Jones had plead your cases for you most vehemently. We are asking you three to to take your Auror exams early." His statement rang in Amelia's ears over and over again. It was what she had been working towards her whole life since the first day she had picked up her father's wand and vanished her brother into the toilet. "And if you should pass you will be a Auror, but you will be assigned to this case and afterwards you won't be required to return to training." he let his words sink in.

Amelia wanted to answer right away but it looked as if Frank and Alice wanted to think about it. Well they were newly engaged, so they had their future to think about. Amelia on the other hand had only herself to think about. She never planned on getting married and she certainly didn't plan on any children. So her choice was made.

"Mr. Crouch I would like to take the early." she said firmly with a nod of her head. She cold see Frank and Alice holding hands under the table. That was the reason Amelia didn't bother with relationships. You had to think about the other person, and frankly she had things she wanted to do in her life and she didn't need a man getting in her way. She looked Mr Crouch and Ms. Jones. It seemed to her that they both knew what her answer was going to be before she said it.

"Mr. Crouch I will take the test as well," Alice's delicate voice rang out pulling Amelia out of her uncharacteristic daydream. Amelia smiled at her. She never knew Alice personally in school but the girl had moxy and Amelia respected that in a woman.

"I will too sir," Frank said at last. Though his face showed he didn't want Alice taking the test early to join this case. Amelia would talk to him later about it.

"We want you three to know how proud we are that we could even offer this up as a solution. Never before have we had three recruits such as you in the program. Don't take this lightly. You are by passing an entire year of training and two years in the field to assist on this case. So take the rest of the day off to study and prepare. We will reconvene tomorrow at 9 am sharp." Ms. Jones told them with a firm nod of her head. They all stood up and made their leave from the conference room. Amelia walked ahead of Frank and Alice as they started whispering as soon as the door closed behind them.

At least she would have some peace and quiet in her own house tonight to study. She waited by the lifts for Frank, who took almost another 20 minutes talking to Alice. Amelia felt a pang in her chest. Her best friend was pulling away from her. She didn't blame him, he loved Alice, but still it hurt. It had always been her and Frank. Now it was going to be Alice and Frank.

She turned to look at him. "I'm moving into my own place if you want to stop by tonight and have dinner with me. Alice is welcomed too." She said hoping that would sweeten the deal.

Frank smiled at her. "I wish I could, but we have that dinner with my mom. Your welcomed to come with us." he playfully punched her in the arm as the doors to the lift slid open. The lifts were still as crowded as ever. She shook her head and smiled at him.

"I need to study and get moved into my new place. I will see you both in the morning." She leaned up and peeked him quickly on the cheeks before stepping onto the lifts. "See you tomorrow." she saved as the doors slid closed. She headed down to the courtrooms to see if she could find her father. The courtrooms were a hotbed of activity and it looked like the entire Wizengamot was there. She spotted her father. He was easily the tallest person down there. He spotted her at the same time and he cut an impressive path toward her.

"Amelia what are doing down here?" he questioned.

"Barty Crouch is letting us take the Auror exam tomorrow," she breathed to her father as he held up his finger to a witch with a clipboard who suddenly materialized at his elbow.

Her father looked at her as if he were going to call her a liar, but thought better of it. Amelia didn't joke about things like that. "This must be worse than they are letting on." he said looking at his daughter. "Well I am sure you want to head home to begin studying. I am afraid that I can't leave right now. Alastor is bringing in some prisoners and it may take all day to get anything out of them." He really wanted to take Amelia to her new home, but his job came first and he knew that she understood that. He reached into his pockets and pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to her. It contained a address. "There's the address. I've gone ahead and put all the necessary charms and things on the place. So no need to worry." He leaned down and kissed Amelia on the top of her head. "I will send your brother along to help you get settled." he promised. She nodded and bid her father farewell.

She clutched the paper in her hand and made her way toward the lifts to begin her brand new life.

She was more excited than she thought she would be moving out of her family's estate in the country. She looked at the address on the paper and stepped into the fireplace. "Number 7 Ottery St. Catchpole." she threw down the floo powder and vanished in a burst of green flames.

Coughing she stepped out of her fireplace and into her home. She was standing in a expansive library with tall windows overlooking a small garden. She smiled as she walked around the library. On the wall opposite the fireplace the bookshelves went from the floor to the ceiling. The shelves were filled with all her favorite books, and spell books. It must have taken her father months to get all those books together. She didn't notice any books missing in her room, so her father must have gotten them brand new. She picked up the picture frame and a tear sprang to her eye as she saw the picture. It was her and her father and they were sitting around the fireplace and they had a muggle law book in their laps and her father was reading to her. Her and her father always had a close relationship, she was closer to him than any other person in her family.

She put the picture down and went to explore the rest of the house. Directly across from library was the small greenhouse. She peered through the glass doors. She could see all the usual potted plants. She would need to brew some basic potions and draughts, but after the Auror test tomorrow. Walking down the hallway she walked into the open kitchen which was flooded with sunlight pouring in through the big picture window that looked out on the billowing grass. In the center of the kitchen was a thick butcher block island. Across from the kitchen was the open living room. With its comfy couches and loveseats. The house already felt like home, it was made just for her. It was in the country and it was quiet and it was all hers. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a gillywater out of the fridge and back into the library. She had some studying to do.

She sat down on her love seat and looked around her new home. It was filled with all the things she loved best in the world. She was old enough to be on her own and she had to stop thinking about her family as if she were a child. She was an adult and she was about to take her Auror exam. She pulled out her notes and started to study. It was a long process as she made better notes than those Gringotts goblins. It was a long, tiring process but this was what she had worked for and nothing was going to stop her.

The thought of getting her license early fueled her, and the six pots of muggle coffee were working their magic. She didn't know when she had fallen asleep but she woke up with a start thinking she had missed her exam.

It was a slow moving morning for her. She forwent her usual 5k run to get the extra hour of studying in. She was more nervous than when she had sat for her N.E.W.T.s. And that was saying something as she had passed out before the written part of her NEWTs had started. The heightened activity in the ministry was still going on and the scowl set on Amelia's face. She was going to pass this exam and she was going to stop whoever it was wrecking havoc in her world.


	4. The Rise of Bones

She was wringing her hands in the lift. And she was starting to sweat. It was just like when she took her N.E.W.T.s. She was muttering under her breath going over potions and charms. She didn't get nearly the amount of studying done she had been prepared to do. But she wasn't going to pass up the chance of a lifetime. She had ready through the Auror history no one had ever been offered to take the test early. Never. She knew she was in an elite class and she was going to pass this test and take her badge and wear it proudly.

The lift doors slid open and she stepped off trying to catch her breath, the last thing she wanted to do was pass out and prove that she wasn't ready to take the test. That would crush her.

"Glad to see you are an early riser Bones," came the crisp voice of Lucretia Black. She was striding down the corridor with a air of purpose. Well that was just how she walked all the time. Amelia admired her so much, she put her right up there with her father and Professor Dumbledore.

"Yes ma'am. Dark Wizards never take a rest and neither should we." Amelia answered as she straightened her trainee robes. She didn't want Lucretia Black to see her sweating.

"Very true. Well Bones I hope to see you join our ranks. You are the best pupil I've had the pleasure of training. I daresay you could give Alastor a few lessons on cloaking potions." She gave Amelia the only smile her face had cracked in 30 years. Amelia's cheeks burned with the compliment. She gave Lucretia Black a little curtsy and hurried down to the testing room where they would take their written exams first. The desks and tests were already in place with a new anti-cheating quill laid on top of each of them.

Amelia chest started rising and falling faster and faster. She turned around and leaned against the wall.

"Calm down Bones." she muttered to herself.

"Still the same old Amelia," came he cheery voice of Frank Longbottom. He popped from around the corner looking like the happiest man in the world. Alice was right behind him. "You get yourself all worked up and then you get more NEWTs than Dumbledore himself," he joked as he tried to attempt to tickle Amelia. She swatted his hands away and giggled.

"Oh Frank," she chided thought she was smiling he could always calm her down when she was nervous about a test. A twang of pain shot through her heart as she thought of losing him to Alice. No she didn't love him romantically but other than her father, he was the only male she was that close to. Not even her brothers held that spot. And Amelia weighed all men against first her father and then second Frank. He was everything she wanted in man. They tried to date in their 3rd year and at first it was nice they held hands, walked along the lake, did their homework together by the fireplace. They rode on the same broom through the forest on the weekends. But after their first kiss it was awkward. Amelia liked the kiss, but Frank was different after it and Amelia understood what it meant, he didn't feel that way about her. They went back to being friends and Amelia never bothered to date anyone else again.

She was brought back to reality with a throat clearing behind her. She turned around and the old Auror test proctor was looking up at her. The poor man was not even 5 feet tall and he was so bent over he had to turn his head sideways to look up at her. "Are we quite ready?" he wheezed. If Amelia hadn't been so nervous she would have felt sorry for him.

They all nodded and followed him into the room and sat down quickly. "This test will be 4 hours. You have just the 4 hours. After that your quill will burn your hand off. So I suggest you use the time wisely. When you are done please meet Lucretia Black in the conference room and she will take you to the practice exam." He nodded and sat down. Amelia cracked her knuckles and picked up her quill and turned her test over.

The test was harder than Amelia thought it would be, but she was prepared for it. She didn't think they would make it easy. She glanced over at Frank who was writing like his life depended on it, but he kept going back and erasing things and rewriting them. He never trusted his gut instinct. He always second guessed himself, but he turned out right in the end.

She looked up at Alice who's slender hands were working over her test paper like an expert. Amelia didn't know too much about her, but she respected her abilities.

Amelia returned her focus back to her own test paper. She was more than halfway finished. Not that she was rushing, but she had a plan and she worked her plan. That was how she did thing. She went through and read all of the tet questions. She answered all the ones she knew off the top of her head right off the bat and then she went back over the ones she had to think about. It wasn't that she didn't know the all of the answers, it was just that some of them were more logic than technique. Her quill moved across her test paper at a speed that would have blurred the eyes if you looked too hard.

Soon she was done. She stood up and turned in her paper. The test proctor turned his head sideways and up to peer up at Amelia. "I say are you done?" he asked shocked that anyone would dare finish a test this early.

"Yes sir," Amelia answered him quickly.

"Hmph," he grunted stamping her test. "We will see. You can wait outside." he instructed. Frank was looking at Amelia with his mouth hanging open. She hadn't even finished her N.E.W.T.s that fast. She winked at him and left the room. Once outside she collapsed against the wall. She needed to keep herself going, they still had the practical part of the test and that was what she was really keen on. She cracked her knuckles and waited for the others to finish. She was ready for this test. She had been waiting her whole life for it.

Amelia was pacing outside of the room waiting for the others to finish. Her adrenaline was getting pumped up and she wanted to do good on the practical part of the test. She was the best in the class and she wanted to go out on top. She had to get her badge and license. Her entire life had been all about this moment, and she wasn't about to let it slip through her fingers. There was nothing else she wanted to do with her life or anything else she wanted her life to be about. Amelia Bones was an Auror. This was just a formality for her.

After another hour the doors opened and both Frank and Alice walked out like they had been through a war. Amelia's heart went out to them. That test had been hard, but neither of them had been training and studying for this day since they were old enough to walk. Amelia had. She had missed quidditch games, charms club meetings, Valentine's Day dances and all the other things her fellow Hogwartians had been doing when she had locked herself in the Gryffindor tower with a stack of books in front of the comfy chair near the fire place.

She smiled at both of them, "You guys ready for this?" she asked with a twinkle in his eye. They both nodded. Amelia liked the idea of them being in the same class. It would mean they were partners and there was no one that Amelia trusted more than Frank and if Frank thought Alice was good enough to be his wife then she was good enough to be Amelia's partner as well.

Lucretia Black was waiting for them at the end of the hall. Behind her was the door they all knew pretty well. The training room, but they knew it wasn't going the easy courses they had been practicing in for the past year. This was going to the ultimate test of their mettle.

"You will have 3 hours to make it across the course to the other side of the room. If you get seriously hurt send up red sparks and someone will tend to you. Use everything you have learned. The only rule is make it to the other side as fast as you can." She told them ominously. They all pulled on their cloaks and got their wands at the ready. "Good luck," she told them all with a rare, very rare smile. She opened the door and motioned for them to enter.

Amelia took several deep breaths and walked through the door.

She was the first one in and she heard the thing hurtling toward her before she saw it. She dodged it. "Stupify," a jet of red sparks caught the thing in midair and it crumbled to the floor. She didn't want to she what it was she pushed on. Alice wasn't so lucky she tried to sidestepped something and lost her footing and went head first into a pool in of water. She was quickly attacked by some grindylow. Amelia was already too far away to help but she saw Frank stop to help her. If it had been Frank then Amelia would have stopped, but she couldn't she had to make it to the other side with the faster time. This was going to be a battle to the end.

By the time they all stumbled out of the practical testing area Frank and Alice was sporting bruises on their faces and Amelie had a bloody nose and the front of her shirt was stained red. They were all huffing and puffing trying to catch their breaths. Lucretia Black looked at her newest recruits. They were a tough group and she couldn't have been prouder if they had been her own children. As she was thinking this her face didn't betray her internal thoughts.

"You will receive your results in the morning. Take the rest of the day off and relax," she told them crisply. Turning on her heel she clacked her way down the corridor toward her office. Amelia winched as she stood up. She was going to be a big sore in the morning. She had bruised her shoulder something terrible diving behind a tree in the last leg of the test. Frank stood up and pulled Alice to her feet. They seemed to be no worse for wear.

"How about I take two of the best Aurors in training for a pint at the Cracked Flagon?" He asked with an easy smile on his face. Amelia was grateful he had included her.

"I would love to," she answered him. Alice nodded as well.


	5. Auror Bones

Amelia arrived home wincing slightly. That last stunner she dodged landed her head first into a tree and a soft landing that does not make. Holding a warm hand to head forehead she walked into the kitchen and fumbled around in the cabinet looking for her headache potion. It was her own recipe guaranteed to cure a headache in one hour or less. She had gotten top marks in Potions for that. her hand closed around the glass vial and she measure out a few milliliters and swallowed. Her eyes watered and she pulled out a bottle of gillywater from the fridge before teetering off to her bathroom for a nice long soak with lots of blue and yellow bubbles.

A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she lowered her aching body into her bathtub. She had to smile as she looked around her bathroom. Her brother must have helped decorate. Blue pixies danced across the tile an the marble. She had a thing for pixie's and only her little brother knew that. She felt closer to him in that moment leaning her head back against the side of the tub then she ever had before. She couldn't say that she had been that great of a big sister. Her studies always came first. She was like her father in that respect, the law always came first for him. And Amelia took after him like a duck to water. Her family understood of course, but there were those times when Edgar would burst into her room excited about some new charm he had learned and he wanted to show her and she didn't have the time because of her studies. his little face would crumble and Amelia would feel horrible, but then he would say it was alright for her to go back to her studies.

Tomorrow she would take him out for dinner. He was working in the Floo department so she would catch him before he left for home. Her relaxing bath took almost 2 hours and she was a happier Amelia for it. She still had two more hours to kill before she met up with Frank and Alice at their favorite pub in Ireland.

She padded out of her bathroom and wondered into the kitchen to fix a pot of tea. She loved her teapot it was a gift from her grandfather when she was six. She tapped her wand three times on the side of the pot and it instantly sprang to life.

"Good afternoon Ms. Bones," the teapot said as it gave Amelia a little bow. Amelia smiled and bowed back. She watched as the pot went about making her tea. She wanted to grab some biscuits but she knew she would want something to eat at the bar so she pushed the tin away. She was getting batter with her will power. She wasn't a thin girl but she didn't want to pack on the kilos either.

After her cup of tea she stood before her wardrobe wondering what to wear. She had never been a woman concerned with outward appearance, but she wanted to dress nice for their celebration. She flipped through the trousers and robes. None of them would work. And this was way she cared more about what she put in her head than on her back. She got to the last hanger and it made her smile. Her mother, always knowing what to do. She pulled out the simple white sundress and looked at it. It never would have been something she picked out for herself, but then again she wasn't big on fashion or makeup.

She quickly slipped it over her head and her cheeks flushed red at the amount of skin she was showing. She'd never worn robes shorter than the top of her ankles so this was a new experience for her. She stood in front of the mirror trying out different hairstyles with her wand. She had learned a few things in those nights in Gryffindor Tower around the fireplace. She settled on a lazy upsweep with a few blonde ringlets floating around her face. She didn't wear makeup preferring to go with her natural, however invisible nature beauty. She nodded at herself and grabbed her trench coat. They were heading to a muggle pub in Ireland and she couldn't wear her robes or her cloak. She smiled and turned on the spot.

She appeared a few blocks from the pub in an alley. She could see people streaming in and out of the popular pub. Her great-grandfather had discovered the little place and her family had been coming ever since. Her heels clacked all the way down the street and she turned a few heads which set her cheeks ablaze once more. She quickened her pace and she soon found herself in the smoke filled pub. There was a chorus of Amelia and she smiled and waved at a few of the locals she had gotten to know over the years.

"Amelia!" she looked around and saw Frank's eager face waving him over to their table. A basket of chips and mayo was already at the table. She smiled and sat down as she shrugged off her jacket. Alice waved at her with a mouth full of chips. She giggled at the sight of the usually poised Alice with her mouth full of chips and a huge grin on her face. She ordered a pint and her own basket of chips. Frank was just all smiles, he was spending the evening with his two favorite girls and everyone was happy and they didn't have any studying they had to do. That was always a good time if you asked him.

There was a lively band playing pub ballads one after the other and the three friends had a great time with each other. A few brave souls stood up to give a vocal rendition of the pub songs. They clapped the brave souls. It was the first time Amelia had really be out for a night on the town. Just as she did while she was at school she threw herself totally into her studies and physical endurance. None of the other Aurors were as physically fit as she was and she didn't understand why. If she had to chase someone done she didn't want them getting away because she was too fat to run 10 meters or something.

It was a pleasant night for her and she was glad she was spending it with Frank and Alice. She could see why Frank wanted to marry Alice. She was a gentle soul with frightening insight into human behavior. However when she picked up a wand she a wicked shot and she was unrelenting. If Alice had you in her sights she wasn't letting you go. You had to stop her before she capture you. Her sweet smile and rosy cheeks didn't betray anything that burned under the surface. She was the sort of girl that Amelia liked and she hoped she had learned how to balance everything out like Alice did. When you looked Amelia you knew she meant business, her smiles were devoid of warmth and she could never hid her intentions like alice could.

They spent the rest of the night toasting, cheering and generally being merry in each other company. She was happy that Frank had seen her home, it let her know that her best friend wasn't pulling away from her just because he was getting married. Amelia knew they would spend less time together but she appreciated his efforts. She didn't bother taking her clothes off as she just fell across her bed and went to sleep.


	6. And so it Begins

Amelia woke with a start, and she immediately regretted moving her head so fast. Her head was pounding, she wasn't a drinker at all and Frank had called for pints all around all night and Amelia kept drinking them. She grimaced as she tumbled out of bed and headed straight for the kitchen for a cup of tea and a headache potion. She was going to have to run extra hard tomorrow to make up for missing her morning job this morning but she just wasn't up for it.

It was a slow moving morning for her, but thankfully she always started out early so that she wasn't late as she apparated to the Ministry. She groaned as someone nudged her. The headache potion was taking longer to work than she had hoped. She stopped off and picked up the Daily Prophet and a gillywater. The Headlines were splashed with new murders and disappearances. Amelia's knuckles tightened as she read. Another wizarding family was found murdered in their home and another muggleborn went missing. She tucked the paper under arm and headed for the lifts. She waved at a few friends before she stepped up and headed to the Auror's office. Today would either make her dreams come true or dash all her hopes.

She stepped off the lift and she had to blink to make sure she was on the floor. Wizards and witches were going to and fro and paper memos were buzzing everywhere. Lucretia Black walked over to her briskly, "Well get a move on Bones on the conference room," she barked. Amelia nodded and followed her. She looked over her shoulder and Frank and Alice were just stepping off the lifts and she waved them both over. Lucretia Black hated repeating herself. They all bustled into the conference room. Lucretia Black closed the door and motioned for them to sit. "You all passed." She told them all business like. She sat down at the head of the table and looked at all of them. "Alice you showed a remarkable talent in concealment so you are going under cover. You will be working with Thalia Grace." She handed Alice a stake of parchment and her Auror's badge. "Frank and Amelia both of you scored high on the target challenge so we want you two teamed up and on the advance team with Alastor." She handed them their badges. "Good luck and it was training with all of you. Constant vigilance!" She stood up an nodded to each of them and then left the conference room.

Amelia was looking at her badge. She had been working toward this her entire life. From her very first memory of sitting on her dad's lap by the fire and reading through the law books of the Wizengamot. There wasn't anything else she wanted to be. She didn't spend her time thinking about her wedding day or the color of her children's eyes. Those dreams were for other girls, not Amelia. She dreamed of a life of danger and intrigue. And not holding her badge she had realized her dream. Now it was time to live it. She stood up and tucked her badge into her robes.

"You ready Frank?" she asked her best friend. He smiled and stood up.

"Always." he gave her a playful punch on her arm.

Amelia stood outside of the conference room as Alice and Frank embraced. Alice was going under cover right away. She was going to take the place of a dragon egg salesmen the MLES had arrested last night. Amelia stood apart from the couple to give them some private time. It caused a pang in her chest that she didn't have anyone to kiss her goodbye and shed a tear over the dangerous nature of her job, but she had wanted it that way. She had her shot at Frank and she told him no.

A deep sigh escaped her lips, still it didn't make it any easier. But she had made her choices in life and now was the time to put all those choices together and get everything done.

"When you two are done snogging in the office. Ca we get to work?" a gruff voice barked at them. Everyone turned around and took in Alastor Moody. Alice and Frank separated like properly scolded school children. Amelia tried to keep her jaw from dropping, but she couldn't keep the huge grin and deep blush from plastering themselves across her face. Alastor was her idol and it just now sunk in that her and Frank would be working with him.

"Mister Moody, its such an honor to get to work with you. I've been a fan for years," Amelia gushed. Frank looked at her curiously. He had never seen her like this.

"Got your N.E.W.T in brown nosing did ya?" he asked her. Amelia instantly deflated and stepped back her face now taking on a different sort of blush. "Got work to do so best be off," he turned and walked down the hallways towards the Auror cubicles. Amelia nodded at Alice who gave Frank one last hug before she turned and headed toward the holding cells to talk with the dragon egg salesmen since she was going to be taking his place. Amelia let Frank follow after Alastor as she tried to get back her confidence. She wasn't used to being scolded by anyone. She was always the student that got that high marks, and Alastor's remarks hurt. He was her idol.

"Don't fret about that," Frank whispered slipping his hand into her's and giving it a slight squeeze. "You're going to be the best of us all." One last squeeze and he let her hand go. Amelia smiled and was glad she had Frank. They made it back to the Auror cubicle area and it was a mad house. People were flying in and out, paper airplanes were zooming and dive bombing people. Alastor pointed to two cubicles adjacent to each other each.

"These are yours." Alastor barked at them. They each nodded and walked over to their own personal spaces. They were simple. A desk and a chair, nothing more as it seemed that most Aurors didn't spend too much time in their offices. Alastor motioned for both of them to follow him down to the Auror conference room. It seemed like they were in for their first meeting with the whole gang. Amelia and Frank were the last into the room and they took the seats closest to the door. It looked like a round room with bleachers ringing the depressed circle in the center. Almost like a stadium. Alastor made his way down to the center of the room. It fell quiet and everyone looked at him.

He looked up at all of them. His blue eyes seemed to pierce through all of them. Amelia shivered under his gaze. "You've all read the Prophet so you know whats about on. What you don't know is that these attacks and killings are just random and they aren't done by random people." he nodded to a burly looking wizard guarding a door. The wizard banged twice on the door and it opened. Two demenators glided into the room each with a arm clamped down on the arm of a rather sick looking wizard. Amelia didn't blame him, the wave of despair that washed over her was mild to what that wizard must be feeling right now. They dropped him in a chair and instantly the chains circled up around his legs and arms. The demenators glided back out of the room and Amelia slumped against Frank. She had a few more regrets than she wanted to admit to anyone and she just had to relive all of them in rapid succession. Alastor walked over to the man and pointed his wand at him. "Tell them," he growled.

The man looked up at Alastor with hollow eyes. "The Dark Lord is going to kill you all," he whispered. His hallow eyes roamed around the room drinking in everything before him as if it were the last time he would see a living soul. "He comes like death on a swift wind for all mudbloods and muggles alike. All will bow to his awesome power before death." There were a few people shifting under his ominous proclamation.

"Who is he?" asked Alastor.

"I told you. The Dark Lord." he seemed to tire out, his head lollied forward.

Alastor didn't care, he poked him hard in the chest with the tip of his wand. The man jerked awake, "Who is helping him?" he demanded.

"His faithful servants." the man tried to move his arm. Alastor saw the gestured and yanked his arm around to expose a curious tattoo. Everyone leaned in to get a closer look. "Only those worthy enough to gain the Dark Lord's trust can be called Death Eaters." he whispered. The image of that tattoo would forever be burned into Amelia's memory. A skull with snake protruding out of its open mouth. It looked livid against his sallow, pale skin.

"Who are these Death Eaters?" he demanded.

The man barked out a loud laugh that sounded weird coming from his emancipated frame. "We are any one and everyone. Maybe even people in the Ministry," he added with a sick grin. "The Dark Lords draws us to him. He seeks us out, he teaches us about the dark arts and about power. You can't stop him," he laughed again. "You can't stop him." Alastor motioned to the burly wizard who once against banged on the door. Amelia's breath caught in her chest as the demenators glided back into the room to retrieve their prisoner. Soon it was just Alastor standing in the circle once again.

"We think these so called Death Eaters are responsible for 12 murders so far. 10 wizards and 2 muggles. We have to find them and capture them if they will come. I have it directly from Barty Crouch's mouth that you are to use everything in your arsenal to take them all down. Everything." he emphasized.

A lone hand went up. A tall dark wizard stood up, "Even unforgivables?" he sat back down once his question was finished. Alastor nodded and there were a few gasps around the room.

"So that is our top priority. I don't care about dragon poachers or illegal breeders or any of that silly nonsense at Gringotts. All of you are on this. I want your best work. The entire department is on this but we are leading the charge, but before we break Amelia Bones and Frank Longbottom are now part of the advance team." he motioned for both of them to stand and they did. A smart applause greeted them and they quickly regained their seats. "Constant Vigilance!" was his departing words. Everyone broke up and went back to their desks to redouble their efforts now that they had a clear target.

Amelia and Frank wandered back over to their desks wondering what they had to do as this was technically their first day on the job. "No time to get comfortable we've got to get over to Fenwick Manor." His voice softened as he said the last bit and Both Frank and Alice looked at him curiously. "There's been a murder," he told them.


End file.
